Exclusive: iTVX Adds Social With General Sentiment

Partnership brings new dimension to branded entertainment measurement

By Jon Lafayette -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/28/2013 9:00:00 AM

ITVX, a research company that measures the marketing effectiveness and value of branded entertainment, is adding social media to its analysis through a partnership with General Sentiment.

Product placement, integrations and other forms of branded entertainment are becoming bigger parts of media campaigns, creating a demand for finding better ways to predict which executions will resonate with consumers before they run and evaluate their effectiveness post-air.

"Our clients want accurate information that is easy to implement and will help them precisely measure their total media initiatives across TV, movie and digital screens," said Frank Zazza, CEO of iTVX. "We chose to partner with General Sentiment because it offers a streamlined social intelligence solution that offers the depth necessary to realistically interpret online conversations."

Zazza and Pete Moran, CEO of General Sentiment, described the partnership over dinner at the New York Athletic Club.  The two executives were introduced by a mutual friend in the research business, Bill Harvey, CEO of TRA.

Working with General Sentiment, social media insights will flow onto the iTVX dashboard along with audience data, commercial exposure scores and branded entertainment scores, providing clients with what Zazza calls a forensic view of their branded entertainment's performance.

"Monitoring conversations is just one part of the equation," said Moran. "Gleaning social insights create more informed marketing strategies in today's market. Old ways of analysis are no longer adequate as clients search for a more complete picture of their brand presence. This branded entertainment partnership with iTVX allows for deeper engagement interpretation for our clients."

General Sentiment will work exclusively with iTVX in the branded entertainment space.

Last year iTVX teamed up with media measurement company Rentrak to create second-by-second ratings for branded entertainment.

Rentrak had been working with Bluefin Labs on social media research projects, but Bluefin has been acquired by Twitter.